“Irish twins” term seems like a way of describing siblings but did you know that it carries a more deeper cannotation owing to its origin. When we refer to the term “Irish twins”, it signifies about siblings who take birth within the period of 12 months, one after the other. It’s an uncommon scenario these days but in old times, it was a usual thing in cases where large families were common, particularly in Irish Catholic familes. So, what is the “Irish twins meaning”? Let’s dig into the term and understand its signifance in the modern world and also explore everything about it’s historical roots, and know what are “Irish twin” really.
History Of Irish Twins
During the 19th century, the term “Irish twins” became popular in parts of United Kingdom and the United States. AT that time, a huge cluster of Irish immigrants had entered the regions, some of whom had large families and were particularly Catholic. The known reason behind this was birth control in their faith was prohibited.
It was a very normal thing for most Irish women to have children within lesser span of time, hence this term “Irish twins” came to light, typically used by those people who were busy stereotyping Irish families as unplanned and overly large.
Despite the origin, the term is nowadays used more playfully. Some parents who are facing the challenges of raising siblings born within a period of less that a nyear, use the term lovingly, than being judgemental.
Today “Irish twins meaning” expresses closeness in bonding and age of the siblings who have an years gap between them.
Technical Irish twins meaning refers to the situation where two siblings take birth in less than 12 months apart, in other words, two children born within the same calendar year. This might look like a rare occurrence but its fact happening more often than you would realize. Parents of the Irish twins say that this creates a more deep and meaningful bond between the siblings despite it comes with loads of challenges of raising them.
One of the key benefits of Irish twins is that the children are together, growing within their developmental stages.
They play with same toys, enjoy activities, and games together which strengthens their special sibling bond. The close proximity of their age, sometimes also leads to increased competition and rivalry between the two as both the children demand same resources and attention from their parents, obviously increasing more challenges for the parents itself.
What are the Key Challenges of Raising Irish Twins?
Raising Irish twins is challenging but is rewarding too. One advantage is that the children in their closeness of age grow up together, experiencing different milestones and overcoming challeges. They enjoy special interests and friendship with each other. But on the other hand, since both are of similar age, the problems of raising also increases for the parents as they have to deal with more sleepless nights, increased amount and cost of diapers, and, not to forget the tantrums thrown by their kids.
A very major challenge that comes along with raising Irish twins is that it increases the overall pressure of the parents. Taking care of a newborn is already very demanding, and when the parents know that the other baby is arriving within the next few months, the task becomes even more overwhelming for the parents who have to handle things alone. Therefore, if you are having Irish twins, you’ve got to have strong support system from friends and family, or might also need help from nannies, to handle everything around.
Another very essential concern for the parents is the financial strain it brings along because the cost of baby supplies multiplies and has to be managed within a short duration. Everything from diapers to clothes to cribs adds up quickly into the costs of raising Irish kids. But, many parents say that the joy of seeing their children being so close and happy with each other is more than all of these challenges.
Are Irish Twins Common?
Irish twins are rare but its more than one can imagine. Due to the use of birth control and family planning measures, the phenomenon of Irish twins is largely affected but certain families around the world have experienced some occurances. It has also becomes popular again because of the advancements in fertility treatments as well.
The reason for more occurances of Irish twins during the 19th century was because of the social as well as religious factors, while in the modern age, families wish to see the strong bonding between their children and want to have Irish twins. It has been reported that the connection between the Irish twins develop over time and remains stronger though lifetime.
The reason for the popularity of Irish twins these days is due to it’s occurance in TV shows, movies, and literature. In some concepts, this phenomenon is show with a comic element, showcasing the humourous side of parents dealing with two children in close age, while reflecting the strong bond between the siblings.
In popular locations, the friendship between Irish twins is depeicted as the strongest and inseperable kinds as these children can overcome all the challenges there could be. Though they are a victim of sibling rivalry but their deep loyalty towards each other keep them closer to each other forever.
With ever changing dynamics of the modern world, the “Irish twins meaning” has also has evolved significantly. This was a term that was used as criticism but its derogatory connotations has now been changed to embracing families that have siblings born within a gap of one year apart. Despite the challenges of raising Irish twins, its benefits are celebrated happily by the parents.
So, more than just birth timing, Irish twin are about the deep connection between the two children born in less than 12 months. They share the love and bond with each other, almost like twins born together do and families having them cherish their special bond with each other.